In the heart of Lisbon lies Rossio Square or Pedro IV Square – a meeting place for centuries for people, poets and pigeons.
In Portuguese, the word rossio means ‘commons’ or a commonly owned area. Rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1755, which leveled much of downtown Lisbon, Rossio Square is a great place for people-watching – and also for Portuguese pavement appreciation.
Believed to have originated in Mesopotamia, these patterned pedestrian pathways – known as calçada portuguesa – are made up of small black and white pieces of basalt and limestone. And they are a marvel to behold. Never in my life have I taken so many photographs of sidewalks, but in Lisbon they deserve all the attention they get.
This morning, my computer inadvertently mashed up several of my photographs of the calçada of Rossio Square resulting in the composite picture above.
I absolutely love it, as the trippy-ness factor of some of these sidewalks really cannot be overstated.
Kristin Fellows 